VT Thanksgiving -- Harvest Vegetable Pie

[Guest guest]

I'm a little late on posting recipes from this cookbook. I had a busier than

usual week last week. I started a " new " job about a year ago (I guess it's not

new anymore) that is much more demanding and time-consuming than my former job

of 15 years. I also started taking Spanish classes and have class 2 nights a

week for 3 hours each (plus studying on other days/nights!).

 

I'll try to get several Thanksgiving recipes posted though. Here's the first,

one that I've been making for the past several years as our main dish:

 

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Harvest Vegetable Pie

 

Recipe By :Vegetarian Times Complete Thanksgiving Cookbook

Serving Size : 10 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Magnificent Entrees Menu-10

 

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes in tomato juice

2 cloves garlic -- minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 10 oz. bags washed ready to eat salad spinach

OR

3 10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach -- thawed

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt -- divided

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -- divided

2 pounds mushrooms -- stems included, cleaned

4 cups thinly sliced onions -- (I use Vidalia)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup feta cheese -- crumbled

4 eggs -- (or Egg Beaters or substitute), beaten

1 cup mozzarella cheese -- divided

10 sheets phyllo dough

 

In large colander or sieve set over bowl, drain tomatoes. Save juice, covered &

refrigerated, for later use. Cut tomatoes in half; place cut side down in

colander; drain well. Squeeze seeds out of cut halves. Chop each tomato half

into 8 pieces. Place tomatoes in lightly oiled 12-inch nonstick skillet.

Saute over high heat, stirring, until all juices have evaporated, about 5

minutes. Add garlic; cook, stirring until garlic is soft, about 3 minutes. Add

tomato paste; stir gently to combine. Cook until no juice remains, about 5

minutes. Turn tomato mixture onto large plate lined with paper towels to cool.

 

Cook spinach in batches with 1 cup water in skillet, covered, over high heat

until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove to colander to drain and cool.

Squeeze spinach by handfuls until very dry. (If using frozen chopped thawed

spinach, skip the cooking step and squeeze until no more moisture can be

extracted.) Chop spinach finely with knife on cutting board. Return to

colander to drain. Squeeze a second time. In medium bowl, mix spinach with

nutmeg, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Place on paper towel lined plate.

 

Trim woody ends from mushroom stems. In a food processor, using shredding

blade, shred mushrooms finely in batches. (Can mince with a knife in batches

on cutting board.) In lightly oiled skillet over high heat, saute mushrooms,

stirring, until all moisture evaporates, up to 20 minutes. Season with

remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Turn onto paper towel lined

plate to cool.

 

In lightly oiled skillet, saute onions with sugar, stirring, until onions are

caramelized but not burned, about 20 minutes. Turn out onto paper towel lined

plate to cool.

 

At this point, the four filling ingredients may be put into separate self-seal

plastic bags, each with a folded paper towel, and refrigerated.

 

TO ASSEMBLE PIE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, mix together

feta, eggs, and spinach. Unfold phyllo sheets. Lay flat on length of waxed

paper. Cover top completely with clean damp towel. Lightly oil a 9 to 10-inch

round springform pan. Remove one sheet of phyllo from top. Cover remaining

sheets with a damp towel. Working with the edges toward center, spray or brush

phyllo sheet lightly with olive oil or butter-flavored or olive oil cooking

spray. Ease sheet onto bottom of springform pan. Pat dough against sides; let

excess hang out over pan edge. Repeat with second sheet at an angle to first

sheet. Repeat with third, fourth, and fifth sheets at angles so all four

quarters of the pan are covered. Layer in 4 additional oiled sheets. Oil

both sides of an additional sheet of phyllo; fold in half and ease into bottom

of pan (for support of bottom of pie). Add fillings in layers as follows:

spinach-feta-egg mixture, mushrooms, 1/2 cup mozzarella, tomatoes, 1/2 cup

mozzarella, onions. Bring phyllo sheets up over top of pie and spray lightly

with oil. Lightly oil another phyllo sheet. Cut into fourths, cutting along

shot side of rectangle. Fold each piece in half lengthwise. Roll up *loosely*

jelly-roll fashion. Pinch at bottom to make a rose and spread side slightly to

make petals. Repeat with each piece. Place 4 phyllo roses in center of pie,

pinching phyllo top to attach.

 

Place springform pan on baking sheet to catch any drips. Bake in center of oven

until phyllo is golden brown and filling is completely cooked, about 1 hour.

(If some areas, such as roses, begin to get too brown, cover those areas with

foil.) Remove from oven. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. With a small thin

spatula, loosen phyllo from pan dies. Unclasp springform pan and remove sides.

Lift pie (leaving bottom of springform pan with pie) onto a serving plate.

Decorate sides of plate, if desired, with parsley, flowers, leaves, etc.

 

VARIATIONS:

(1) VEGAN VERSION: Omit eggs and feta in spinach layer and substitute 1/2 cup

shredded mozzarella-type soy cheese and a 10-ounce package of Japanese-style

firm tofu that has been drained to press out excess moisture. In the tomato and

mushroom layers, substitute 1/2 cup soy mozzarella for dairy cheese.

(2) Instead of phyllo, try puff pastry. Use 2 sheets (1 package) frozen puff

pastry, thawed according to package directions. Roll one sheet on a lightly

floured surface. Cut into 3 equal short lengths. Fit each length into the

sides of a springform pan, allowing top edges to hang out over sides. Seal

edges with water, save scraps. Roll out second sheet slightly. Cut a circle

1/2 inch larger than pan bottom. Save scraps. Ease circle into bottom of pan,

sealing edges to sides on inner side with water. Layer fillings as directed.

Bring up overhanging puff pastry sides over top. Center will be open. Gather

scraps, knead briefly to combine. Roll out onto a 9-inch circle. Brush edges

with water to seal. Place on top of pie. Cut decorate slits with a sharp

knife. Bake at 400ºF for 1 hour. (3)

For a simple phyllo pie, lay phyllo sheets as directed on 12-inch flat pizza

pan. Layer fillings to within 1 inch of edge. Gather ends of phyllo together

on top of pie and twist. Bake as directed.

 

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 274 Calories; 10g Fat (35.4% calories

from fat); 17g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 98mg Cholesterol;

938mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 4 1/2 Vegetable; 1

Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

 

NOTES :

The success of this layered vegetable pie depends upon making sure all

ingredients are as dry as possible, so don't stint on cooking times.

 

You can make the four filling ingredients a day ahead and store them in the

refrigerator in plastic bags with a clean dry paper towel tucked in to absorb

excess moisture. Fresh spinach has a much better flavor than frozen. One

12-inch skillet may be used to prepare each set of filling ingredients. Simply

rinse with hot water and dry in between.

 

KAREN'S NOTE: This has become our traditional Thanksgiving main dish! Although

it is a lengthy recipe and it is rather time-consuming to make, it is not

difficult.

 

Karen C. Greenlee

List Owner of Veg-Recipes (Veg-Recipes) -- a

MasterCook vegetarian recipe list.

 

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